It’s almost time to toast in the New Year, and a little fizz is just the thing to celebrate.
Champagne cocktails are the ultimate New Year’s Eve indulgence — effervescent, elegant, glass brimming with celebratory flair. Champagne alone has long been the drink of choice for ringing in the New Year, but when elevated with thoughtfully chosen spirits, fruit infusions, or a splash of bitters, it transcends tradition and becomes something truly special. Classics like the sharp French 75 or the peach-kissed Bellini balance lightness with complexity. Call it a little theatre in a glass. And on a night devoted to fresh starts and bold hopes, shouldn’t your drink have a little sparkle and swagger too?
Clementine bellinis
A festive variation on a classic sparkling cocktail.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients
Method
- 1. Juice the Clementines to make about 300ml and mix with the Grand Marnier. Pour into 8 champagne flutes.
- 2. Just before serving, top up the glasses with the Champagne.
Winter spritz
The vibrant orange colour of this drink never fails to make your guests smile, whether you’re snuggling on the sofa à deux or having all the neighbours round for a New Year’s Eve party.
Serves: 1
Ingredients
Method
- Pour the Aperol and fizz into a glass full of ice. Top up with ginger beer. Garnish with slices of orange and basil leaves.
To twist this, make a Passiflora Fizz. Similar flavour profile, but arguably a little fresher. To make the twist, take 40ml Aperol, 20ml lime juice, 15ml sugar syrup and the pulp from ½ passion fruit, and add them to in a large wine glass filled with crushed ice. Stir well and top up with Champagne. Garnish with a lime wheel.
Manchester bee fizz
Thomas Dakin gin has an infusion of horseradish, which livens up a traditional gin fizz. Adding honey gives the cocktail a lovely hint of sweetness, too.
Serves: 1
Ingredients
- 40ml Thomas Dakin Gin
- 2 level tsp clear honey
- 20ml lemon juice Champagne
- Orange wheel, to garnish
Method
- Fill a coupette glass with ice to chill. In a cocktail shaker, stir the gin and honey until dissolved.
- Add ice and lemon juice. Shake for 10 seconds. Empty the glass and strain the drink, leaving the ice behind.
- Top with Champagne. Garnish with orange.
Grand Anno
With this zingy cocktail, its bitter orange flavours pairs beautifully with the Champagne.
Serves: 1
Ingredients
Method
- Pour the Aperol, Grand Marnier and orange juice into a flute and top up with Champagne. Garnish with orange zest.
Heartwarmer
This is a wonderful winter Champagne cocktail with a real kick from the sloe gin to warm you up on a cold, frosty day.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Method
- Pour 75ml Champagne into each Champagne glass, then top up each one with 25ml sloe gin.
Amaretto Fizz
An Amaretto Fizz is easy to prepare, one of those cocktails that will get you out of the kitchen and mingling with your guests. It provides a real carnival of flavour combinations.
Serves: 8
Ingredients
Method
- In a jug, mix 200ml Disaronno with 300ml orange juice and a bottle of Champagne, or other sparkling wine.
- Add a strip of orange zest to small wine glasses or Champagne flutes, then pour in the cocktail.
